Apparatus for burning refuse

ABSTRACT

A plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housings extend outwardly from a chimney structure, having a stack and a combustion chamber and communicate with an annular row of tangential air receiving openings through the structure which impart an upward spiral movement to ascending gases and solids discharged from the combustion chamber. Each hollow housing has a depending outer wall with the lower portion thereof spaced horizontally from the inlet for a tangential opening and terminating below and in spaced relation to the tangential opening.

llnited States Patent [191 ouglass, Jr.

[111 3,810,432 [451 May 14,1974

1 1 APPARATUS FOR BURNING REFUSE [22] Filed: June 28, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 374,470

[52] US. Cl. 110/18 R, 110/18 A, 110/8 R,

i 110/147 [51] Int. Cl F23g 5/00, F23g 9/00 [58] Field of Search 110/8 R, 8 A, 8 13,18,

' 110/122, 147,160,7A, 72 R, 75 R; 431/173 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,804,031 8/1957 Douglass, .lr 110/18 R 5,638,591 2/1972 Lausmann 110/75 R 2,002,029 5/1938 (ierlinger 110/175 R 1,151,348 8/1915 Dunster ..1l0/175R 519,325 5/1894 Davids 1lO/72 R 2,879,862 3/1959 Burden, Jr. 110/72 R Primary Examinerl(enneth W. Sprague Assistant Examiner-l-Ienry C. Yuen a ia 459 51. 15... n ftrmrlqnriu s Qata 4 Thompson [5 7] ABSTRACT V A plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending 3 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 14 um I saw 1 or 2 \wl illwl l APPARATUS FOR BURNING REFUSE REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION This application relates to an improvement of the apparatus disclosed and claimed in my copending US. application Ser. No. 323,842 filed .Ian. 15, 1973 and relating to Apparatus for Burning Refuse.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to apparatus for burning refuse and more particularly to an incinerator for combustible waste, such as is produced around sawmills, planing mills, woodworking shops and the like. Heretofore, difficulties have been encountered in supplying a uniform stream of air into the stack for breaking the draft and chilling and deflecting the sparks passing up through the stack. This is especially true on windy days due to the fact that the wind comes in gusts whereby there are sudden and violent rushes of wind adjacent the usual tangential air receiving openings. Accordingly, there is not a uniform passage of air through the tangential air receiving passageways which impart an upward spiral movement to the ascending gases and sparks discharged from the combustion chamber. With conventional type incinerators, the hot gases discharged from the combustion chamber travel upwardly through the stack at a fast velocity due to the differential of pressure inside the stack and the air pressure outwardly of the stack. With the tangential openings provided around the middle section of the stack there is an'inair receiving openings whereupon the incoming air contacts the upwardly moving lighter gases discharged from the combustion chamber. This incoming air aids in creating a circular motion and reduces the temperature of the hot gasesby dilution. Also, the spirally moving gas and air mixture-separates sparks from the gaseous stream by centrifugal force and provides fresh oxygen for combustion of the sparks. Also the residence time of the sparks within the stack is increased by changing the travel trajectory of the sparks from a straight upward motion to a circular motion. Serious problems have been encountered in bringing about efficient operation of the incinerator when the wind velocity adjacent the air receiving openings is erratic. That is, the gust of wind into and around the air receiving openings causes tremendous turbulence within the stack whereby there is no longer a uniform, upward spiral movement of the gases and the sparks through the stack. Accordingly, instead of obtaining an even laminar flow of the gases through the stack, a disruptive tubulence is created which interfers with separation of the solid particles from the gases and also interfers with complete combustion of the constituents passing through the stack whereby the air surrounding the incinerator is polluted with both solid and gaseous components discharged from the-incinerator.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A plurality of outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housings are mounted in position to bring about continuous, even flow of the air entering the stack adjacent the juncture of the stack with the combustion chamber. Each hollow housing has a depending outer wall with the lower portion thereof positioned outwardly of and in horizontal spaced relation to a tangential air receiving opening. The lower end of each depending outer wall terminates below and in spaced relation to the tangential air receiving opening whereby air passes beneath the depending outer wall and then enters the tangential opening. My improved air deflector assembly prevents forced passage of outside air directly into the stack and allows the natural even flow of air into the stack which reduces the harmful effects of gusts of air that move adjacent and around the air receiving openings. My improved air deflector assembly is mounted whereby it offers a minimum of resistance to thepassage of air toward the air receiving openings.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS I tion chamber.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Referring now to the drawings'for a better understanding of my invention, my improved apparatus comprises a chimney-like structure in which the lower portion 10 forms a combustion chamber and the upper portion 11 forms a stack. The combustion chamber 10 is provided with a refractory lining 13 and an outer shell 14. A layer of insulating material 16, such as asbestos fiber or the like may be provided between the shell 14 and the refractory lining 13, as shown in FIG. 1. A series of angularly spaced, tangential openings 17 are provided adjacent the lower end of the combustion chamber 10 for introducing air for combustion.

A second series of angularly spaced, tangential openings 18 are provided in the lower portion of the combustion chamber 10, above the openings 17. Combustion air is supplied to the openings 17 and 18 by conduits 19 and 21, respectively, which receive air from a bustle pipe 22 which surrounds the lower'end of the combustion chamber 10, as shown. A suitable blower 23 supplies air to the bustle pipe 22 through a conduit As shown in FIG. 1, the stack 11 comprises a cylindrical shell 25 which communicates at its lower end with a cylindricalsection 26 which in turn communicates with the upper end of the combustion chamber 10. Extending downwardly alongside the cylindrical shell 25 are a plurality of angularly spaced conduits 27. The upper ends of the conduits 27 extend laterally in an upwardly and outwardly extending direction to provide sloping spark traps 28 which communicate with of the stack 11 is a conventional type, hemispherical spark arresting screen 31.

Each of the downwardly extending conduits 27 communicates at its lower end with a branch conduit 21 which supplies over fire air to one of the tangential openings 18. As shown in FIG. 4, each conduit 27 is joined to its branch conduit 21 by means of a T-type connection which has mounted therein a suitable vane 32 which creates a negative pressure in the lower end of the conduit 27 whereby gases and solid particles car ried thereby are drawn downwardly through the conduit 27 into the conduit 21 and are then delivered to the combustion chamber 10.

Materials to be burned are collected in a conventional type cyclone separator 33 and are discharge into the combustion chamber through a conduit 34 which extends through a suitable opening 36 in the combustion chamber.

Angularly spaced, tangential openings 37 are provided in the section 26 at the juncture between the lower end of the stack 11 and the upper end of the combustion chamber 10 for introducing cooling air which serves to chill the gases and sparks passing up wardly in a spiral direction. The introduction ofcold air also reduces the draft and imparts a spiral motion to the upwardly moving column of gases carrying solid particles, such as sparks and the like entrained therein. Air is drawn inwardly through the tangential openings 37 due to the negative pressure inwardly of the tangential openings 37. The density of the air at ambient temperature outwardly of the stack 11 is substantially greater than the density of the upwardly moving hot gases inwardly of the stack 11.

To eliminate the harmful effects of gusts of wind into and around the tangential openings 37, l provide improved means preventing the entry ofwind directly into the vicinity of the tangential openings 37. As shown in FIG. 2, the tangential openings 37 are provided in the intermediate, cylindrical portion 26 which joins the upper end of the combustion chamber 10 to the lower end of the stack 11 and are in the form of short duct members. Telescoping into the receiving end of the duct member defining each tangential opening 37 is the outlet end 38 of an outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing 39 having an air intake 41. Each hollow housing 38 has a depending outer wall 42 with the lower portion thereof spaced horizontally from the air inlet of the tangential opening 37 and terminating below and in spaced relation thereto so that air passes beneath the air intake 41 and then moves upwardly through the tangential opening 37.

The hollow housings 39 are spaced angularly from each other and extend at an angle to the axis of the cylindrical portion 26 in alignment with the tangential openings 37, as shown in FIG. 2 and are secured to the duct members defining the tangential openings 37 by suitable means. such as screws 43.

From the foregoing, the operation of my improved apparatus for burning refuse will be readily understood. The material to be burned is introduced through the conduit 34 into the lower portion of the combustion chamber 10. Air for combustion is introduced tangentially through the openings 17 and 18 by conduits l9 and 21, respectively. As the combustion gases and solid particles carried thereby, such as sparks, move upwardly through the chimney-like structure, cold air is introduced through the tangential openings 37 to chill the gases and change the direction of flow of the sparks moving upwardly. Due to the negative pressure adjacent the lower ends of the downwardly extending conduits 27 some of the combustion gases, together with solid particles, such as sparks, will be drawn into the conduits 21 and reinjected into the combustion chamber. This recirculation of combustible gases and solids insures complete combustion thereof before they are finally discharged through the screen 31. The downwardly and outwardly extending hollow housing assembly 39 prevents gusts of wind from forced entry in and around the air receiving opening 37 whereby the air introduced through the openings 37 must first move downwardly beneath the air intake 41 and then upwardly through the tangential openings 37 in a uniform manner, thus providing even laminar flow of the column of gases moving upwardly through the stack 11.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that I have devised improved apparatus for burning refuse. By providing an outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing having a depending air intake, 1 eliminate entirely the changes of wind interferring with the smooth operation of the incinerator. This is brought about due to the fact that gusts of wind moving adjacent the incinerator strike the depending, hollow housing assembly rather than moving directly into the vicinity of the tangential openings 37. By introducing air tangentially into the openings 17., 18 and 37, the column of air moving up wardly through the chimney-like structure moves in a circular or spiral manner which increases the residence time needed for combustion, provides fresh oxygen and also separates the heavier, solid particles from the lighter gases. The introduction of the cooling gases into the tangential openings 37 greatly reduce the temperature within the incinerator due to dilution of the upwardly moving hot gases and also provides additional oxygen for combustion of the combustible materials carried upwardly through the stack.

While 1 have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof.

What 1 claim is:

l. A furnace comprising:

a. a cylindrical chimney shaped structure having a stack mounted on a heating chamber for passing hot gases and solids upwardly therethrough,

b. an annular row of angularly spaced tangential openings through said chimney shaped structure admitting air adjacent the juncture of said stack with said heating chamber and imparting an upward spiral movement to the ascending gases and solids,

c. an outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing communicating at its upper end with the inlet of each said tangential opening and extending at an angle to the axis of said chimney shaped structure in alignment with said tangential opening in position to offer a minimum of resistance to the natural, uniform flow of air to said tangential opening and having an air intake at the lower end thereof for receiving air and preventing forced passage of outside air directly into said tangential opening,

d. each said outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing having a depending outer wall with wardly extending housing to said chimney shaped structure. g 2. A furnace as defined in claim 1 in which the outlet of each said hollow housing telescopes into one of said tangential openings and is secured thereto.

3. A furnace as defined in claim 1 in which each said hollow housing is generally elbow shaped and extends in a vertical plane; 

1. A furnace comprising: a. a cylindrical chimney shaped structure having a stack mounted on a heating chamber for passing hot gases and solids upwardly therethrough, b. an annular row of angularly spaced tangential openings through said chimney shaped structure admitting air adjacent the juncture of said stack with said heating chamber and imparting an upward spiral movement to the ascending gases and solids, c. an outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing communicating at its upper end with the inlet of each said tangential opening and extending at an angle to the axis of said chimney shaped structure in alignment with said tangential opening in position to offer a minimum of resistance to the natural, uniform flow of air to said tangential opening and having an air intake at the lower end thereof for receiving air and preventing forced passage of outside air directly into said tangential opening, d. each said outwardly and downwardly extending hollow housing having a depending outer wall with the lower portion thereof spaced horizontally from said inlet of said tangential opening and terminating below and in spaced relation to said inlet for said tangential opening so that air passes beneath said air intake at the lower end of said hollow housing in a generally tangential direction relative to said chimney shaped structure and then passes through said tangential opening, and e. means securing each said outwardly and downwardly extending housing to said chimney shaped structure.
 2. A furnace as defined in claim 1 in which the outlet of each said hollow housing telescopes into one of said tangential openings and is secured thereto.
 3. A furnace as defined in claim 1 in which each said hollow housing is generally elbow shaped and extends in a vertical plane. 